Premier League referees: Where they are from, who they support and their red card records

Let’s be honest, if you’re on this page, there has probably been a refereeing decision go against your team.

You’re here because you’re frantically searching the internet to find out who a particular referee supports, in a bid to determine whether there is any level of bias against your side.

Unfortunately, your tirade will probably have to stop here.

Referees are not allowed to officiate the teams they support, nor are they allowed to go near their closest rivals.

But that barely matters, as most Premier League officials support teams who play in the lower echelons for the football pyramid.

Here’s all you need to know about the top flight officials…

Martin Atkinson

Atkinson is one of the Premier League’s most senior officials(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Date of birth: 31/3/1971

Hometown: Bradford

Joined Premier League: 2004

Supports: Leeds

Biggest games refereed:

FA Cup final 2011 – Manchester City 1-0 Stoke

Championship play-off final 2013 – Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford

Capital One Cup final 2014 – Manchester City 3-1 Sunderland

Premier League card record (pre-18/19 season):

Matches: 349

Yellow cards: 1,179

Red cards: 57

Atkinson is a FIFA-recognised official, who began refereeing at the age of 16 and is now considered one of the Premier League’s most senior referees. He first made the Football League as a linesman in 1998 and began refereeing Conference games in the middle by 2002, before a rapid rise to the top flight.

Michael Oliver

Oliver is considered one of the Premier League’s top officials(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Date of birth: 20/2/1985

Hometown: Ashington

Joined Premier League: 2010

Supports: Newcastle

Biggest games refereed:

FA Cup final 2018 – Manchester United 0-1 Chelsea

EFL final 2016 – Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (Liverpool won 3-1 on pens)

Oliver is one of the youngest referees in the Premier League, and started out his officiating interests alongside his father Clive when he was just 14. He was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2007 and took charge of the Conference playoff final in 2007. He became FIFA listed in 2012 and became a UEFA Elite member in 2018.

Jon Moss

Moss is a popular referee with the players(Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Date of birth: 18/10/1970

Hometown: Sunderland

Joined Premier League: 2011

Supports: Sunderland

Biggest game refereed:

FA Cup final 2015- Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa

Premier League card record (pre-18/19 season):

Matches: 173

Yellow cards: 584

Red cards: 25

Moss was in fact a youth footballer himself in his early years, earning a footballing scholarship at Central Connecticut State University in the US. However, his academy days at his home club Sunderland ended when he began to referee as part of his PE studies. He joined the Football League in 2005, and became a top flight ref in 2010.

Andre Marriner

Marriner is a former FA Cup final referee(Image: REUTERS)

Date of birth: 1/11971

Hometown: Birmingham

Joined Premier League: 2005

Supports: Aston Villa

Biggest games refereed:

FA Cup final 2013 – Wigan 1-0 Manchester City

Championship Playoff final 2008 – Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff

Community Shield 2010 Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea

Premier League card record (pre-18/19 season):

Matches: 282

Yellow cards: 911

Red cards: 52

Marriner was born in Birmingham and was promoted to the Select Group Referees in 2005. He began officiating for FIFA in 2009 but stepped down in 2017. He officiated the FA Cup final in 2013.

Anthony Taylor

Taylor is one of the most highly-rated officials on the division(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Date of birth: 20/10/1978

Hometown: Manchester

Joined Premier League: 2010

Supports: Altrincham

Biggest games refereed:

FA Cup final 2017 – Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

EFL final 2015- Chelsea 2-0 Spurs

Championship Playoff final 2018 – Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Premier League card record (pre-18/19 season):

Matches: 193

Yellow cards: 662

Red cards: 30

Taylor is a Mancunian-born Select Group referee, and was promoted to this role in 2010. He rose up through non-league in the early years of the millennium before breaking into the Football League in 2006. He became FIFA listed in 2013.

Mike Dean

Dean gets plenty of big Premier League appointments(Image: REUTERS)

Date of birth: 2/6/1968

Hometown: Wirral

Joined Premier League: 2000

Supports: Tranmere

Biggest games refereed:

FA Cup final 2008 – Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff

EFL final 2011 – Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham

April 2010 – Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea (EPL)

Premier League card record (pre-18/19 season):

Matches: 453

Yellow cards: 1631

Red cards: 90

Dean began his refereeing journey in 1985, before being promoted into the Football League as a full-time referee in 1997. He became FIFA-listed in 2003 before resigning in 2013 to focus on domestic appointments.

Another young referee at the top level, Pawson started out as an assistant referee in the Football League, before becoming the main man in the middle in 2008. He initially began his refereeing adventure in 1993, and has now become FIFA-listed, signing in 2015.

Kevin Friend

Friend enjoys a joke during last season’s Premier League(Image: AFP)

Date of birth: 6/7/1971

Hometown: Tottenham, London

Joined Premier League: 2009

Supports: Bristol City/Leicester

Biggest games refereed:

EFL final 2013 – Swansea 5-0 Bradford

Community Shield 2012 – Chelsea 2-3 Manchester City

Premier League card record (pre-18/19 season):

Matches: 178

Yellow cards: 629

Red cards: 20

Friend is one of the more experienced refs in the English game and was promoted to the top flight in 2009, having begun refereeing in 1984. His career peaked in 2013, when he was given a Wembley date at the League Cup final between Swansea and Bradford City.